As it turns out, the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers only had 101 wins in them.
Before I get going, let me be clear that I actively dislike the Cardinals. They are an unlikable crew that was managed by the dour, hypocritical, and sanctimonious Tony la Russa. That this team stood in the way of the Brewers winning the pennant was maddening. That they went on to win the World Series in an improbable manner was similarly frustrating. But kudos to them for participating in (and winning) an insanely enjoyable Fall Classic.
Back to the Brewers, I want to see them win a pennant. I want to see them win a World Series. It is possible that I will see neither in my lifetime; time will tell. That would be a bummer, but it would be nowhere near as bad as following a consistently feeble baseball team. I know this all too well as someone that followed them from 1993-2006 without witnessing a single winning season.
So if you're not going to win a pennant, at least don't be feeble. And as long as you're not being feeble, you may as well have some iconic moments along the way, such as:
-Having a stretch of 25 games where you go 22-3
-Celebrating a division title courtesy of a monster home run from Ryan Braun
-Setting a franchise record with 57 home wins
-Winning Game 5 of the NLDS on an extra-inning walk-off home run (a play I will watch thousands of times in the future)
-And many more!
At the end of the day we watch sports for entertainment and iconic moments. That's what the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers gave us and that's what they'll be remembered for.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Cardinals Win NLCS, 4-2
There will be more to come later, but for now I'll just say that I had too much fun following this team to get down about their unraveling in the final two games of this series.
More to come in the next couple of days...
More to come in the next couple of days...
Thursday, October 13, 2011
NLCS Game Four: Brewers 4, Cardinals 2
Box Score
We're back in business, baby!
Before the game started the season was on the brink. The Brewers were down 2-1 in the series and had looked mostly atrocious on the road. Even more concerning was the fact that Randy Wolf, who had a disaster start last time out in Arizona was taking the mound. Quite frankly, I did not believe this series would come back to Milwaukee. But at the very least, that is what's going to happen.
Wolf was the crafty lefty that he absolutely, positively needed to be and the offense finally found a way to get some hits with runners in scoring position. Even better, K-Rod and Axford were pitched (mostly) stress-free innings en route to a 4-2 victory. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves an incredible series on our hands. A few quick thoughts:
-The slide Jerry Hairston made as he scored the tying run was incredibly beautiful. The throw beat him to the plate, but he was able to contort himself in a way to touch the plate safely. The play happened because...
-...Yuni Betancourt of all people is having a fantastic series at the plate. He's 7-16 in the NLCS with 4 RBI and a home run. That he's become the Brewers' ace in the hole this post season is not something I would have bet on under any circumstances.
-Ryan Braun is continuing to cement his legacy as a Wisconsin sports legend. Should he stay healthy for the duration of his contract he will absolutely make the Hall of Fame.
-Prince Fielder has done the impossible: make me like Albert Pujols a little. Pujols, who is often dour and likes to admire his home runs, was smiling with Prince Fielder when he was on first base. Kudos to Pujols for appearing human and an even bigger kudos to Fielder for causing that to happen.
-Speaking of Fielder, he gave props to Ryan Theriot after he sharply grounded into an inning-ending double play. It was an incredible act of sportsmanship that deserves a lot of national attention. This, as well as the previous point, demonstrates that Prince Fielder gets it. Yes, the stakes are high, but at the end of the day baseball is just a game. The sooner fans, players, and owners realize this, the better.
-Whatever happens from here on out, I am ecstatic the series will end in Milwaukee. And hey, if we're lucky the series will end in the best way imaginable.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
NLCS Game Three: Cardinals 4, Brewers 3
It could have been worse, but it's still a loss. Now the hopes of a pennant (essentially) ride on the crafty left arm of Randy Wolf.
I give Gallardo and the Brewers a lot of credit for preventing the game from getting out of hand and crawling back to striking distance, respectively. That the Cardinals did not win the game 15-3 is something of a minor miracle, and at the very least it is nice to be involved in a taught LCS game. But that does not stop tonight's contest from leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
Anyway, I'm going to let this game dissolve into the past and focus on tomorrow. Hopefully the Randy Wolf will find a way to pitch a scoreless first inning. That would be a nice change of pace from the previous three road games.
I give Gallardo and the Brewers a lot of credit for preventing the game from getting out of hand and crawling back to striking distance, respectively. That the Cardinals did not win the game 15-3 is something of a minor miracle, and at the very least it is nice to be involved in a taught LCS game. But that does not stop tonight's contest from leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
Anyway, I'm going to let this game dissolve into the past and focus on tomorrow. Hopefully the Randy Wolf will find a way to pitch a scoreless first inning. That would be a nice change of pace from the previous three road games.
Monday, October 10, 2011
NLCS Game Two: Cardinals 12, Brewers 3
The silver lining is that this only counts as one loss. The rusty lining is that the Brewers have to play three consecutive games in St. Louis. You could say that I'm concerned.
The Brewers needed Shawn Marcum to come out and pitch at least six strong innings. While this is not a unique need for the playoffs, in the case of Marcum it would be a sign that the last month has been nothing more than a fluke. After getting lit up yet again I'm led to conclude that he's hurt. Even if he's not, I don't think he should start another game.
The rest of the game was a cavalcade of frustration. The third inning, for example, was a case of balls being just out of the reach of defenders. And by just out of reach I mean that they touched leather. And then there was the 5th inning where, down 7-2, Rickie Weeks grounded into an inning ending double play with the bases loaded, even though replays showed he was clearly safe at first. Of course, an RBI ground-out is not going to do much good there, but when you're down big you need every out you can get. But hey, at least when the Brewers lose in the playoffs they lose big. So there's that.
Looking ahead, the Brewers realistically need to take 2 of 3 in St. Louis if they want to win the series. They have not looked good on the road this post season and Busch Stadium is not the easiest place to play. In short, they really need Gallardo to come up big on Wednesday and they absolutely need to win Game 3. If there was ever a time to return the favor from tonight, Game 3 is it.
The Brewers needed Shawn Marcum to come out and pitch at least six strong innings. While this is not a unique need for the playoffs, in the case of Marcum it would be a sign that the last month has been nothing more than a fluke. After getting lit up yet again I'm led to conclude that he's hurt. Even if he's not, I don't think he should start another game.
The rest of the game was a cavalcade of frustration. The third inning, for example, was a case of balls being just out of the reach of defenders. And by just out of reach I mean that they touched leather. And then there was the 5th inning where, down 7-2, Rickie Weeks grounded into an inning ending double play with the bases loaded, even though replays showed he was clearly safe at first. Of course, an RBI ground-out is not going to do much good there, but when you're down big you need every out you can get. But hey, at least when the Brewers lose in the playoffs they lose big. So there's that.
Looking ahead, the Brewers realistically need to take 2 of 3 in St. Louis if they want to win the series. They have not looked good on the road this post season and Busch Stadium is not the easiest place to play. In short, they really need Gallardo to come up big on Wednesday and they absolutely need to win Game 3. If there was ever a time to return the favor from tonight, Game 3 is it.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
NLCS Game One: Brewers 9, Cardinals 6
Scattered thoughts about the game:
-I do not have confidence in Zack Greinke to pitch effectively at the moment. However, I expect the Brewers to win all of his starts at Miller Park. Despite his lackluster performance today, the Brewers improved to 17-0 at Miller Park when Greinke starts. They should almost throw him out there tomorrow to see what happens.
-Ryan Braun currently occupies a different plane of existence right now. After going .500/.571/.889 in the NLDS he got going in the bottom of the 1st by mashing a 460-foot homer to give the Brewers an early lead. He stayed hot in the 5th with an RBI ground rule double to deliver the first blow of the Crew's decisive six-run rally.
-Also as part of the rally was a go-ahead homer by Prince Fielder that traveled at the speed of 119.2 MPH. That was the highest speed of any home run hit in 2011.
-It's important to remember the double play Saito coaxed from the bat of Albert Pujols in the 7th. It scored a run, but as far as I'm concerned it saved the game. Anything besides a double play would have allowed Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday to come to the plate representing the tying (or possibly go-ahead) run. John Axford was masterful in the 9th and technically got the save, but Saito deserved it.
-Tomorrow Shawn Marcum will be on the mound to (hopefully) rebound from a disastrous start in Arizona. I have very little confidence in Marcum at the moment, but all he really needs to do is go six innings and give up no more than three runs. The last time he did that at Miller Park was against (surprise!) the Cardinals. Here's to a repeat performance.
-I do not have confidence in Zack Greinke to pitch effectively at the moment. However, I expect the Brewers to win all of his starts at Miller Park. Despite his lackluster performance today, the Brewers improved to 17-0 at Miller Park when Greinke starts. They should almost throw him out there tomorrow to see what happens.
-Ryan Braun currently occupies a different plane of existence right now. After going .500/.571/.889 in the NLDS he got going in the bottom of the 1st by mashing a 460-foot homer to give the Brewers an early lead. He stayed hot in the 5th with an RBI ground rule double to deliver the first blow of the Crew's decisive six-run rally.
-Also as part of the rally was a go-ahead homer by Prince Fielder that traveled at the speed of 119.2 MPH. That was the highest speed of any home run hit in 2011.
-It's important to remember the double play Saito coaxed from the bat of Albert Pujols in the 7th. It scored a run, but as far as I'm concerned it saved the game. Anything besides a double play would have allowed Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday to come to the plate representing the tying (or possibly go-ahead) run. John Axford was masterful in the 9th and technically got the save, but Saito deserved it.
-Tomorrow Shawn Marcum will be on the mound to (hopefully) rebound from a disastrous start in Arizona. I have very little confidence in Marcum at the moment, but all he really needs to do is go six innings and give up no more than three runs. The last time he did that at Miller Park was against (surprise!) the Cardinals. Here's to a repeat performance.
NLDS Game 5: Brewers 3, Diamondbacks 2
I have been very busy this weekend, thus finding the time to write about this game has been difficult. Moreover, there is not much to be said about what happened because the sheer greatness of the game is self-evident. I do have two quick points to make:
1) That was baseball at its finest. This was a taught, well-played game from start to finish. The intensity in each dugout and the stands was as high as you will ever see for any sporting event. I'm happy I got a chance to watch the game, I'm happy the Brewers were involved, and I'm happy the Brewers won.
2) Nyjer Morgan's series-winning singles was an extremely rare play the sports fans live for. The only thing that compares is Al Harris' game-winning pick-six to beat the Seahawks in the playoffs back in 2004. The tension of the situation, the excitement of the play, and the pandemonium that ensued will never be surpassed. It was an important and iconic moment that will be remembered in Wisconsin forever.
1) That was baseball at its finest. This was a taught, well-played game from start to finish. The intensity in each dugout and the stands was as high as you will ever see for any sporting event. I'm happy I got a chance to watch the game, I'm happy the Brewers were involved, and I'm happy the Brewers won.
2) Nyjer Morgan's series-winning singles was an extremely rare play the sports fans live for. The only thing that compares is Al Harris' game-winning pick-six to beat the Seahawks in the playoffs back in 2004. The tension of the situation, the excitement of the play, and the pandemonium that ensued will never be surpassed. It was an important and iconic moment that will be remembered in Wisconsin forever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)